A Day Trip in Nusa Penida

Let's admit, watching vlogs and Instagram stories are much more convenient now than reading long reviews and articles online which of course caused the blogging industry to slowly die. And as a so-called 'blogger' in me, my inspiration to write doesn't really hit me that much now because of it (sorry about that). I always have this thinking that why would I bother myself writing long paragraphs if I know for a fact that some people would rather watch it than read it on the blog, right? But this should not stop me from blogging because it is a longtime hobby of mine. Well, I need to finish this Bali trip post anyway because it's been hanging in my draft box for a very long time now.

This trip was my favorite among the rest of our list of destinations to visit because this is what I've been dreaming to see in Bali. The Nusa Penida island is definitely has a breathtaking view that you should not miss out if you're in Bali because it is as beautiful as you could imagine it would be. The beauty you see in photos online is not just because it's filtered or edited (well, at first, I thought the photos were just too filtered to make it that beautiful) but it is real. A definitely a must-see!

To start it off, the island is located on the southern coast of Bali and only a 30-minute boat ride from Sanur. Yes, you need to ride a boat and spend at least half or a full day if you want to visit the island. The boat has a scheduled time for departure and arrival so do your research and be guided for schedules online for booking and all. But for your convenience, you can just book a tour online or ask your tour guide to include Nusa Penida in your itinerary.

In our case, since we got to book Ikadek for our Nusa Penida Tour, he was the one who fixed everything - from our itinerary on the island to tickets to transportation and all. His tour package includes:

Nusa Penida Tour Package

Pick-up in the hotel (Bali)
Sanur Harbour 7:15AM
Pick-up at the harbor in Nusa Penida
Angel Billabong
Kelingking Beach
Broken Beach
Crystal Bay
Back to the harbor in Nusa Penida
Arrive in Bali 5PM/6PM
Back to hotel / Go somewhere for dinner

Description:

1M rupiah per pax

Transfer from hotel to the harbor in Sanur
Transfer from the harbor in Sanur back to the hotel
Boat tickets
Tour in Nusa Penida (places is mentions above)
Car, Driver, and Petrol
Parking and Entrance Fees
Mineral Water
Drone Video (raw and edited)

So after a few minutes of the boat ride, when we got to Nusa Penida we were waited by another tour guide in the harbor. According to Kadek, he is a tour guide on the island and he will be the one who will provide the car, drive and guide us all thru out our trip to Nusa Penida.

Going to our first stop, it took us about an hour or so from the harbor and the ride was actually pretty bad because of the extremely rough road the island has. Well, Nusa Penida has just been started to be a tourist attraction so that's probably why it still lacks in infrastructures and has very much untouched nature as I speak.

Be prepared! Expect that the roads on the island are the worst, it's rough and bumpy and a bit scary that I myself felt a little sick seating at the back of the car, to be honest. It's like driving in a single lane 4x4 vehicle kind of road in a normal 6-seater car. After that, we are not half there yet because after that bumpy roads, you also need to climb for some time before you see the beautiful scenery, and add to that is the extreme sun heat you need to face. Well, base on my experience I guess the saying "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations" could really be true and you should find it why yourself.

Broken Beach

Broken Beach is the little cove you see on Nusa Penida island. You can find real turquoise water in a color that flows in and out of the archway. You can't go swim at Broken Beach and feel the water but it is still an unreal setting to see, right? Although we can't go down there, you can still walk around the beach and took several photos of different viewpoints of this hole in the cliff.

Angel's Billabong

If you can't swim in Broken Beach, here in Angel's Billabong you can. You can take a dip or perhaps swim in the natural infinity pool of Angel's Billabong though getting down in the water area is tough. The rocks are quite sharp, it's like doing rock climbing downwards going to the pool area but once you step in the surface of the rocks under the water it is smooth and easy to walk on.

Well, a little reminder though. Don't attempt to go down there and swim if it's high tide because the water is a little rough and the waves are big and strong enough that it can suck you out in the edge and fall in the cliff to the ocean. I actually heard some stories that a few tourists already fell on the cliff and died. So be extra cautious and keep your distance from the edge of the cliff. But of course, your tour guide won't let you take risks and they surely remind you what you can and can't do. Anyway, you can swim during low tide, and like what I have said, you need to be careful with sharp rocks and holes so it's better to wear reef shoes.

Kelingking Secret Point Beach

One of the best breath-taking views the island has to offer is the cliff that is formed in the shape of a T-Rex at Kelingking Beach. You can enjoy the views over the hills like most tourists do but if you are adventurous enough, fit, and have time, you can actually walk down to the beach area. There is a bamboo railing path leading to the shore and they said it would take you about an hour to get there. When we were there, we saw people walking down the path but only a few tourists which are less than ten people I got to spot at the bottom.

I actually wanted to go down when I saw people enjoying the water on the shore but after seeing how the path is really steep and how long I have to walk I didn't dare anymore and I just enjoyed the view where I was. Anyway, there are a lot of viewpoints you can enjoy the island and take photos for your social media feed and don't worry, you don't need to find these spots to get this kind of photos because these areas cannot be missed as a tourist will be queuing up waiting in turn for their Instagram-worthy photos.

Crystal Bay

And our last stop is the beach area in Crystal Bay where we could relax, swim and enjoy the crystal water but after the extreme heat and exhaustion, we've been thru the whole afternoon, when we got to the bay we didn't bother to swim, dip or even wet ourselves because of how tired we all are. And to top of that, we're actually not that prepared for this trip. I totally forgot to pack some swimsuits, didn't bring any extra water, I don't have a towel and my clothes are just not really for this kind of trip. Hahaha. But we did stay for a while to appreciate the beauty of the island and we relaxed a little before we head back to the harbor.

By the way, if you happened to need a tour guide in Nusa Penida itself, I do recommend @nusapenidaisland on Instagram. Well, aside from being a good guide, he also does a pretty great job being our photographer the whole time (he did know the angles, guys!) and I believe that he does offer free drone shots now as well.

And because I don't want you to be unprepared, here's a little reminder for you, the island features a very limited number of hotels and tourist features so I suggest preparing for the visit is a must.

Put on and bring sunblock.
Mineral water usually included in the tour package but do bring more if you can.
Wear a hat or bring an umbrella if you want.
Pack some snacks in the car because there are only a few stores there.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes!
A towel, sunglasses, swimsuit, and fan are important too!

Don't forget to pack all this, okay?! Anyway, my photos and the activities we did are just some of the things you can see and do in Nusa Penida island. And I believe that no matter where you view the island, you are bound to enjoy it because the island really has a lot to offer.

What do you think, are you willing to take this adventure? Let me know and share your stories with us.